Celebrating Assam Cinema at New Delhi on March 18 2012

19 March 2012, Delhi

Movie buffs in Delhi had a complete day to celebrate Assamese cinema on Sunday. The auditorium of Sankardev Bhawan in the capital was packed with people from not only the Assamese Diaspora but also many other cinema enthusiasts from the city. A movie marathon christened as Celebrating Assamese Cinema was held here on Sunday.

The event can be termed as successful in one word with more than 200 people being present. A total of six films comprising three feature films and three short-films and documentaries were shown back to back on the occasion. The eclectic choice of movies with varying subject matters received positive response from the crowd gathered.

The event was a joint venture of Enajori.com, first Assamese e-magazine and Pooberun, a socio-cultural initiative of the Assamese students of Delhi University, in association with Assam Association, Delhi. The three feature films, Laaz by Manju Borah and Tora and Firingoti by Jahnu Baruah were able to make impact over the audience. The event was kickstarted with Axomiya Cinema: A Sojourn, a short documentary on the evolution of Assamese cinema in last 75 years, by Prabeen Hazarika.

The documentary also has the attribute of being shown at the prestigious Goa International Film Festival. This was followed by Manju Borah’s Laaz, a story based on the deprivations faced by the fishermen community of Assam in the present social hierarchy. On the other end, Divide Souls, a documentary on the lives and times of the Assamese Chinese community and the situation they had to face during Indo-China proved to be emotionally challenging for the audience. The documentary is loosely based on Dr Rita Choudhury’s acclaimed novel Makam.

There were also some moments of light-heartedness and innocence on the on the queue with screening of Jahnu Baruah’s Tora. Tora was able to move the audience with its poignant exploration of children’s innocent worldview devoid of apathy and any vices. On the other hand, innovative director Reema Borah’s Their Story, an experimental short-film, touching some of the trickiest issues of present-day Assam proved to be equally mesmerizing.

The perfect final note for the event was Jahnu Barua’s critically acclaimed Firingoti, a very unconventional story revolving around a female protagonist who finds herself engaged in a tricky position of a schoolteacher in a village amidst difficulties and hostilities. The award-winning acting of Malaya Goswami found an admiring audience again after two decades of the realase of the film.

The day-long movie marathon was a much needed event to freshen up the cultural sensitivity of the people from Assam residing in Delhi as well as a medium of showcasing the potent scenario of Assamese cinema on a pan-Indian platform. The event was hosted by Brishbhanu Baruah and Shakya Shamik Kar Khound. The team of Enajori.com and Pooberun are optimistic about maintaining the continuity of the event in the forthcoming years.

Bikram Bora
New Delhi